


By Your Side

by DirtyLilGreaseMonkey



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: M/M, Tiny bit of Angst, fluff lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-23 22:51:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8345893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtyLilGreaseMonkey/pseuds/DirtyLilGreaseMonkey
Summary: Scene continuation from last nights ep (21/10)





	

**Author's Note:**

> For My Livesy <3
> 
> Sorry about the medical stuff - what do you think I am some sort of pharmacist. 
> 
> I just had feels!

 

The doors flung opens as the nurses rushed in alerted by the alarm.

"Aaron! AARON!! No!!" Robert cried his fingers tightened their hold on Aaron's hand,

"You can't...Don't leave me."

"Sir, sir can you step back please."

"No no he can't....I can't," Robert choked.

"Robert," Chas called to him her hand outstretched,

"Let them work."

"Sir," the nurse insisted stepping around him pushing him out the way to get to Aaron, still he won't relinquish his hold.

"I..."

"Robert," Liv pleaded coming around the bed and pulling on his arm dragging him away from Aaron's seemingly lifeless body.

"He...I....what's wrong with him?" Robert sobbed his eyes never leaving Aaron even as Liv tugged him back.

"Sir," the nurse warned.

"Come on Robert please," Chas' voice cracked as saw the desperation in his eyes

"No he can't leave me he just....he said yes."

Chas pulled both Robert and Liv into her, holding onto them as Aaron fought for his life. The alarms stopped the constant bleeping back to a steady rhythm as the three of them held onto each other.

"Robert."

Everyone froze at the sound of the croak which repeated,

"Robert."

"Aaron!" Robert cried with relief shrugging out of Chas arms his hands grasping onto Aarons.

"You...you're okay?"

"Sir!" the nurse reminded him with a stern voice.

Robert ignored the nurse his other hand finding his way into Aaron's hair, who seemed to relax at his touch.

"Just leave him," Chas sighed shaking her head a smile on her face as she witnessed the two of them together.

"Aaron, Aaron can you hear me?"

"Robert," Aaron croaked.

"Shh shhh I'm here I'm here, I'm not going anywhere and you're not leaving me again promise?"

Aaron gave him a weak smile his fingers pressing into his skin.

When Robert was sure Aaron was alright he turned to the nurse who was still behind him.

"What happened?"

"His sats dropped but he's a fighter."

Robert eyes flashed to both Chas and Liv in turn the three of them smiling at her words; they knew how strong he was.

"And this," the nurse pointed to the pulse oximeter on Aaron's forefinger.

Robert looked down at where his hand held onto Aaron's

"This needs to stay on."

"Sorry," Robert he said with sheepishly shrug, he'd been so intent on keeping his hold on Aaron it was no doubt his fault it had come loose.

"As well as this," she indicted the oxygen mask she'd replaced over Aaron's nose and mouth,

"And he needs to rest."

Roberts face fell,

"I'm not...."

"It's fine rob," Chas reassured him, she could see how much he was struggling, she turned to Liv who was still tucked under her arm,

"Come on let's leave them too it,"

"But...Liv started knowing she'd never win with Robert being all protective so she sighed

"Fine."

"You don't..." Robert trailed off his eyes fixed on Aaron.

"It's alright love we'll leave you two to it for a while."

Robert gave her an appreciated smile, moving back slightly, his fingers still holding onto Aaron as she came closer.

"Don't ever scare me like that again you hear me?" Chas leant over Aaron pressing her lips to her son’s forehead, stepping aside to let Liv in.

"You can't leave me yet alright?"

Aaron gave her sister a weak smile before closing his eyes again.

Roberts eyes never left Aarons as he heard the door slam shut behind them leaving him alone with his fiancé.

"So...." Robert hesitated trying to get a hold on his emotions as he carefully rested on the edge of the bed bringing their intertwined hands up to rest on his thigh.

"You.....ya said yes."

Aaron nodded his eyes still closed.

"You know..." Robert breathed.

"I know," he croaked he throat raw from his surgery.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Aaron shook his head and groaned,

"No," obviously in pain.

"Ice chips," Robert suddenly remembered they’d helped him when he first came around from his coma not that Aaron has been in a coma but...

"I should get you some," he stood up Aaron refusing to let go of his hand. 

"Don't."

"Hey," Robert brought his free hand up to stroke his cheek.

"You've got me I'm not going anywhere, you hear me?"

"Promise?" Aaron hissed out.

"Promise."

And even though he knew he shouldn’t he lifted the mask and he bent over pressing his lips briefly to Aarons.

"I thought I'd lost you," Robert breathed Aaron in before replacing the mask.

"I can't lose you Aaron, anyone else maybe but not you, you're...." Roberts voice cracked,

"You're my world, my everything." 

A single tear ran down Aaron's face which his brushed away with the pad of his thumb.

Aaron pulled the mask down smiling weakly,

"Me too."

Robert took hold Aaron's other hand in his kissing the palm before letting it fall back down to the bed.

"But...but you told me to go, to leave you I couldn't.....I just couldn't."

"I know, I know," Aaron reassured him which was absurd Robert realised with a shake of his head and stood up pulling himself together.

"Sorry I'm a mess."

Aaron gave a slight nod of his head in agreement as Robert once again replaced the mask.

They sat there for a while, Robert perched on Aaron's bed, their hands connected, Roberts thumb absentmindedly rubbing Aaron's knuckles until eventually Aaron drifted off to sleep.

He didn't move, didn't leave his side, even when the nurse came back to check on him he stayed put his hand never leaving Aaron's. He had no idea what time it was when Chas and Liv came back in but Aaron was still fast asleep. They both insisted he go home and get some rest but there was no way he was leaving Aaron's side let along releasing his hold on me. Chas disappeared when he'd insisted on staying, leaving him alone with Liv.

"Robert he's..."

"He’s gonna be fine, c'mere." He opened his arm for her, and she buried her face into Roberts damp shirt as he held her.

"I shouldn't have left like that."

"Tskay," Liv batted away her falling tears,

"You needed to get this," she touched the silver band that sat gleaming on her brothers finger.

"You're okay with this?" Robert asked softly suddenly aware that he should have talked to Liv about it.

"S'pose."

Robert wrapped his arm around her shoulder and dropped a kiss into her hair, it was the three of them now, four including Chas, and he was never letting them go.

Chas pushed through the door moments later ladened down with clothes, followed by a nurse carrying a chair.

"Here," Chas offered him the borrowed scrubs,

"I'll watch him."

"I...."

"Robert you need to get out of those wet clothes."

He looked down at himself, the thin blue material of his shirt sticking to his body as a shiver ran down his spine, he hadn't realised just how cold he was.

"There’s a bathroom down the hall," the nurse prompted as he checked Aaron's blood pressure.

He looked down at Aaron he couldn't leave him.

"He'll be fine," Chas promised.

"But..."

"Robert," Chas insisted.

He stooped down brushing his lips over Aaron's pale skin before reluctantly relenting his grip.

"I'll be right back," he mumbled more for Aaron's sake more than anyone else's before slipping out the door.

He found the bathroom and stripped his tired body out of the damp clothes pulling on the blue hospital scrubs Chas has found for him. He could do with a shower really but there was no way he was leaving Aaron for longer than necessary, a shower could wait. He splashed some water on his face and closed his eyes briefly the sound of the running water taking him right back to the harrowing events of the day, his chest tightening with the panic as his hands gripped the porcelain his knuckles turning white, his breath coming in short raspy waves. He forced himself to stare at his reflection, at the dark circles under his eyes and shook his head squashing the residual terror down, he needed to be strong, not just for Aaron but for Chas and Liv too.

“He’s gonna be okay, he’s gonna be okay,” he repeated to himself over and over again as he pushed his thoughts aside and made his way back to Aaron he'd only been gone a few minutes but those minutes felt like a lifetime.

With Aaron's hand back in his he felt like he could breathe again the enormity of the situation bubbling up the last of his adrenaline seeped from his body as Liv informed him of James' death.

He looked at Chas who confirmed what she was saying with a nod of her head his eyes flashing to Aaron's and back to his mum her hand coming up to his shoulder in a reassuring squeeze knowing exactly what he was thinking, it could have so easily been Aaron.

"Stop that now."

"What..." Robert choked fighting to hold onto his composure.

"He's gonna be fine."

Robert nodded not trusting his voice. The three of them stayed by his side until the nurse told them they had to go; there was nothing they could do until he woke.

"I want to stay."

"Of course," Chas gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Can I?" Liv asked.

"No love, he's in safe hands and we'll be back in the morning."

"But....."

"I won't let anything happen to him," Robert promised offering her a weak smile.

Liv bit into her lip and nodded, a gesture so similar to her big brothers it took every ounce of strength Robert had left not to cry.

And with a few tearful goodbyes he was left alone with only Aaron and his thoughts for company. With no Chas or Liv to be strong for and no nurse interrupting his thoughts the reality of not having to be strong for their sakes washed over him as he closed his eyes sheer exhaustion setting in, the weight of the whole ordeal pressing against his chest making it impossibly hard to breathe. He forced his eyes open and tightened his grip on Aaron's hand needing the touch of those calloused hands to anchor him, his chin started to wobble as he tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. He fought off the tears as long as he could until they wrecked from his chest in a silent sob. His face was streaked with tears as he cried for a man he hadn't cared for, because it could have easily been Aaron. He must have dosed off because the shriek of an alarm broke through his unconscious and he jerked awake.

"What?!"

A hand on his back made him jump.

"What's going on? Aaron?" he panicked.

"You just knocked this off again pet no need to worry."

Relief flooded through him as the nurse’s words sank in; he let out a raspy breath, the term of endearment reminding him of Diane and he wondered briefly where she was, but then he remembered the crash, and with Ashley and Laurel not to mention Adam and Vic she had enough on her plate without him worrying about him.

A brush of skin against his palm caught his attention and a smile broken scores his face as Aarons eyes fluttered open.

"Hey sleepyhead how ya feeling?" he asked keeping his voice low, climbing up onto the edge of the bed, his free hand coming up to brush the loose dark curls away from his forehead.

"Sore," Aaron wheezed through his mask.

"Don't try and speak," Robert instructed but it fell on deaf ears.

"Tell me."

"What?" Robert soothed as he tried to stall the conversation he knew was coming.

Aaron pulled the mask from his face,

"Tell me."

Robert exhaled,

"He got out."

Aaron frowned which caused him to wince.

"Shit, sorry," Robert jumped up from his perch, setting himself down onto the plastic chair, his hand still holding on firmly to Aarons as he talked.

"Lachlan he, I went back after I-I...."

"You saved me," Aaron rasped.

"Yeah well I kinda love ya you know."

"Only kinda?" Aaron joked wincing from this laughter.

"Aaron," Robert cried softly they shouldn't be talking about this, not now.

"I'm fine."

"You are not."

"Carry on," Aaron insisted with a cough which prompted Robert to feed him the ice chips that he'd asked the nurse to bring last time she came in before once again replacing the mask over his face.

"I went back in, and he wasn't there."

"Where?"

Robert sighed he wasn't getting out of this one.

"He got out somehow, maybe when the car hit the water I dunno but I looked and he wasn't there. But then I saw him, on the bank, I was so angry."

"What did you do?" Aaron asked pulling the mask down again.

Robert fixed the mask back in place much to Aaron's annoyance.

"I threatened him."

Robert could hear the moan, could see the mask fog up with Aaron's hot breath.

"I...I didn't know what happened to you, Adam..."

Aaron eyes widened at the mention of his friends name.

"He's...."

"What?" Aaron gasped wrecking the mask off.

"It's James he's..dead."

"James?"

"Yeah I don't know the full story but he was brought in with the rest of us."

"Adam," Aaron began to panic this time replacing the mask himself for the much needed oxygen.

Robert let him take several deep breathes before continuing.

"He's alright, Vic's with him."

Aaron nodded.

"Adam came in the ambulance with you while in was looking for...." Roberts free hand balled into a fist by his side, he wasted too much time looking for that creep when he should have been by Aarons side. 

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Aaron mumbled from behind the mask.

"I should have been here with you instead..."

They both knew he'd needed to do what he did, for Aaron's sanity if not his own.

"I came as fast as I could but Adam said you'd been rushed to surgery."

Aaron nodded, that part he knew, could feel the dull ache across his torso.

"You got me out."

Robert sucked in another lungful of air the threat of tears overwhelming him making his eyes sting, an image flashing through his head of Aaron slipping below the water after telling him he loved him, his eyes closing like he'd given up, the hurt and the pain he felt came crashing down on him.

"You...you told me to leave."

"I didn't want..."

"I know, I know why you did it but don't you get it ya idiot," Robert scolded him twisting the platinum band on his finger,

"I'm not leaving you."

Aaron felt it, the weight of it encircling his finger, new, foreign, yet oddly comforting at the same time.

"You remembered."

Robert brought there adjoined hands up and kiss Aaron's ring.

Aaron eased the mask down from his face letting it rest at his chin his eyes fixed heavy eyes fixed on Roberts.

"Did ya mean it?"

"What?"

"This," Aaron tugged on his hand in Roberts.

"Aaron I..."

Robert pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, how could he be asking him this after everything that had happened? He took a deep calming breath and just let the words fall out of him.

"When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible so Aaron Dingle," Robert grasped his hand in both of his and got down on one knee at his bedside.

"Robert what..." Aaron choked.

"Shut up will ya, you're not ruining this one."

"I can't..."

"Shit, sorry," Robert clambered to his feet and carried on,

"Meeting you was fate, getting to know you was a choice," they both let out a small laugh at that,

"But falling in love with you was out of my control."

Robert tighten his hold on Aaron's hand as he fought back his tears,

"We both know it's not gonna be easy, if fact it's probably gonna be really hard and we are gonna have to work at it, at us every day but I want this, I want to do this, with you, because I want you Aaron, always, and I want it to be forever if you'll have me."

"Of course I want this."

"You and me every day."

"You and me," Aaron repeated tightening his hold on Roberts fingers.

"I can't imagine my life with you in it; I want to grow old with you or at least til 80 or something."

Aaron sniggered at the reference wincing.

"Sorry," Robert apologised again.

"You done?" Aaron sniffled.

"Not quite," Robert smiled down at him.

"You're the first person I want to look at when I wake up."

"Soft lad."

"The only one I want to kiss goodnight, and I'm never letting go, you're stuck with me."

Aaron was powerless to stop the tears that escaped his eyes,

"You really want this?"

"Yes ya idiot, so I'll ask again."

"But..."

"Just shut up will ya."

Aaron snorted.

"Aaron Dingle will you marry me?"

Robert waited for a moment, his hope dwindling ever second Aaron stayed quiet until eventually he groaned,

"Go on then."

Robert caught his lips in a brief kiss shaking his head at the soft moan that escaping Aaron's mouth as he pulled back.

"What's all this?" Chas asked as she and Liv pushed through the door having clearly interrupted something.

"He said yes," Robert beamed.

"Didn't he say that already?" Liv frowned, a small smile spreading across her face as he moved closer to her brother. 

"Alright lazy bones."

"Oi you," Aaron let out a laugh, trying his best not to show the pain he was in.

"Glad to see you’re feeling better."

"Yeah you and me both."

Now that Aaron was awake, and Robert could breathe with ease again he stepped back and joined Chas at the foot of the bed.

"How long?" he asked he'd lost all track of time.

"A few hours...someone," she gestured to Liv,

"Insisted on coming back."

"Yeah sorry about that," Robert apologised, he felt guilty for them having to leave but he was grateful they'd allowed him to stay.

"Don't be daft," Chas slapped his upper arm,

"He needs you and you need a shower."

"Yeah," Robert agreed with a snort but there was no way he was leaving just yet, not when they had reason to celebrate.

He stayed back and watched as Chas and Liv fussed over Aaron, unable to keep the smile off his face as he caught sight of the band of colour on Aaron's hand. He really did it, after all this time he finally found the one person who made his life complete. Yes it could have gone a whole lot smoother, but they wouldn't be them without the complications. With a contented sigh he stepped forward and joined in with the conversation, his eyes never far from Aarons as they spent the rest of the day celebrating, just the four of them, his new family unit.


End file.
